Aloo Shimla Mirch (Capsicum) Sabzi - Pakistani

This easy vegetarian dish shows how a ingredient can be transformative. Green peppers or capsicum are added to a potato curry to create a layer of flavor that makes weekday vegetarian feel remarkable.

I think some ingredients are magic.

Let me correct myself: I KNOW they are. Like take mace or javetri, add a little bit to an easy one pot pulao and holy airball you've got something amazing.

Green peppers or Capsicum are right up there too. They are what make a Chicken Jalfrezi AMAZING and so different from a Karahi.

How to get Aloo Capsicum ki Sabzi just right

Like many Pakistani homestyle sabzis the beauty and balance of this dish comes from a less is more approach. I cannot say this enough - if you season (salt) your sabzi correctly then everything else will sing too. Also, if you are timid about the capsicum then please put at least one whole green pepper in, but if you aren't then I really do love the extra flavour from two. They are not spicy, just deeply aromatic.

A QUICK Walkthrough

Start with a neutral oil and make sure it's nice and hot before adding your onions. WATCH THE COLOUR - you want a little color change with the onions lightly golden and not caramelized onion korma vibes otherwise the onions will dominate the dish. Then it's standard ingredients - garlic, ginger, spices - before we move on.

Now simply add your tomato, potatoes, and peppers to the pot. If you want tender crisp peppers then wait till the potatoes are halfway cooked. Cover and cook on low heat with half a cup of water, until cooked through.

As always taste and adjust seasoning. Remember you can brighten it up with a little lemon too.

I am also about to say an admittedly weird thing and that's this: the oil for this sabzi is delicious.

Yup. True Story. Don't judge.

What are we serving?

Wondering what goes well with Aloo Shimla Mirch, no worries, I got you. Here are some ideas below.

Made this recipe? Rate it below! Old readers will see I have made some slight tweaks by dropping the amount of heat and increasing the garlic ad reducing the ginger.

Print Recipe

4.34 from 6 votes

Aloo Shimla Mirch (Capsicum) Sabzi - Pakistani

An easy flavorful potatoes and green pepper dish perfect as a meatless main!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: pakistani, indian

Keyword: green pepper, capsicum, shimla

Servings: 4

Author: Sarah Mir

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp cooking oil of choice
• 2 Green Peppers cut into squares
• 2-3 potatoes quartered into wedges and thinly sliced (450g)
• 1 diced onion (150-175g)
• 1 diced tomato
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• ½ tsp crushed ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼-1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp chili flakes
• ⅓ tsp turmeric/haldi powder
• Cooking oil
• cilantro for garnish and lemon to adjust seasoning

Instructions

• Fry onions in oil until the edges change colour.
• Add the ginger/garlic and sauté for a minute, then add the spices and sauté for another minute.
• Now it is time to put in the green peppers, give them a quick toss in the spices and add the remaining ingredients + half a cup of hot water.

  TIP: for tender crisp green peppers add halfway through cooking.
• Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
• Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until done. Check the water at the halfway mark and give the dish a quick stir.
• Adjust seasoning, garnish with sliced chillies and serve with roti.